


Hold Me and Watch the Apocalypse

by Why_so_drama



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Background Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 16:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21121718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Why_so_drama/pseuds/Why_so_drama
Summary: Geno has been missing for three days.





	Hold Me and Watch the Apocalypse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GrahamKellis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrahamKellis/gifts).

> I hope that this is what you were thinking when you asked for a zombie au, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Title from Empires’ _Under the Bright Lights_
> 
> Big thank you to Eafay70 for the beta, and thank you as always to my best girl, who will be revealed after the reveals. 
> 
> TW: While this is technically a Zombie Apocalypse AU, there is no heavy description of violence or gore. If you think additional tags are needed, please do not hesitate to let me know!

Sid stands against a window on one of the upper floors of the building. He looks out toward the absolute wasteland that the area surrounding PPG Paints has become, hoping to see someone living out there among the writhing undead bodies crowding the streets. It’s been three days since Geno left with Duper and Flower, looking for more supplies to keep them afloat just a little bit longer. Sid had gone out too, but he’d been able to get back before the hoard of walking dead had taken over fifth avenue. If the others are still alive, they’re going to have to wait until the zombies clear before they come back.

Sid is having a hard time sitting still and waiting. More than once, he’s put on his equipment, armed himself with a hockey stick with a skate blade attached, and nearly walked out the door. The crowd of undead in the area is too thick though, and he can’t chance getting bitten. Vero is pregnant, and Sid swore to Flower that if anything ever happened to him, he’d take care of her and the kids. He can’t go out to find them, to find Geno, needs to stay here and make sure that everyone else is safe. His feelings can’t matter in this situation.

Sid has always kind of had a thing for Geno, ever since their rookie season. Geno is loud, and brash, and moody. Everything about him gets Sid going, but he’d never been sure about Geno, never really known how he felt. He still doesn’t, but he hopes.

Every time that they go out, he wants to tell Geno. He wants to make sure that there’s something for Geno to come back for. They’ve lost so many people since the news broke out, since Sid sent out the call to gather at the arena so that they could hide behind the secure doors until it all blew over. Not everyone had made it, and they can’t be sure that those people are still alive. They have Geno though, and Tanger, Flower, Dumo, Olli, Duper, and Rusty. Jake is here, along with Reeser, Muzz, and Horny. They have Vero and Cath and the kids, and they have Cully and his family. They’ve also accumulated more people over the course of the summer, those wandering through, needing defendable shelter. 

There are a few others that had messaged to say that they couldn’t make it to the arena before the phone lines went down, so Sid can’t be sure that they’d made it, he can only hope that they’re all still safe. Once the winter hits, it will slow the monsters down and they can try to get those guys here.

He can only hope that Geno, Duper, and Flower are safe too. 

He’s about to give up and head back to check on everyone, try to lift their spirits, when he sees movement in the peripheral. The undead have a specific way of moving around, kind of a shuffle, kind of a drag. The figures that he can see are definitely moving with more purpose than the dead that are milling about. Sid can’t tell who they are, just that there are three of them, and they’re trying not to draw attention to themselves. Sometimes, the zombies can be fooled. Sometimes, the living can disguise their scent and shuffle along with the slow, ambling movements, and make it to safety. If those three figures are Geno, Duper and Flower, Sid needs them to make it back here safely. 

He’s never even considered telling Geno about his feelings until now. Three days of worrying about him, thinking that he could be dead, or trapped somewhere, has convinced Sid that he needs to be honest with himself and Geno. Even if Geno doesn’t feel the same way about him, Sid needs to tell him. If that’s Geno out there, Sid needs him to know that he loves him, that he has loved him for years now. If they aren’t meant to be together, Sid at least wants Geno to know that there is hope for the future. Even if it just means that they spend the rest of their days being terrified together, instead of alone.

He stands at the window a bit longer, watching as the three figures smear themselves with the thick, dark blood from a nearby monster. He watches as they start the slow trek toward the building, and then he turns away from them. If it is Geno, Sid wants to do everything in his power to help him and the others arrive safely. 

Once he’s back down in the common area, he approached Dumo and Olli and says quietly, “I saw three living moving this way. From their height differences, I think it’s our guys. Help me distract the herd?” 

“Fuck, you think it’s Geno?” Dumo asks. “You think they made it?”

“If it’s not him, it’s someone who knows we’re here. Could be Schultzy, or maybe Muzz. Could be anyone on the team.” They’re not a team anymore, haven’t been for the whole summer, at least not officially. The plague had hit nearing the end of last season, and they’ve all been trapped in Pittsburgh since. Sid is hoping that once winter hits, it will slow the zombies down. Maybe then they can find somewhere better to hole up, or at least find some better supplies without worrying about being turned. 

“What about throwing some flares out on the other side of the building?” Olli suggests. “You know how much those fuckers like bright lights.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Dumo replies. “But we gotta time it right.” 

Sid nods along and lets them make plans to distract the zombies near their preferred entrance. Getting some of the mass of bodies out from in front of their preferred entrance is a good idea. Even if the three figures aren’t Geno, Duper, and Flower, they might need help, they might have something they can do to help their little family here. Sid knows that not everyone out there has good intentions but if there is someone in need, he wants to try to help them.

“I’m gonna help clear the way when they get closer. If it’s our guys, we need to make sure that they can get in without getting hurt,” Sid announces. “I’ll ask a few others, but this is voluntary. I’m not gonna make anyone help because this is gonna be fucking dangerous. I just— If it’s Geno out there…”

Olli comes up beside Dumo and squeezes his hip gently. “We get it, Sid. If it’s Geno, you have to tell him.” 

Sid watches as Dumo leans into Olli. It had taken them a few months, but a scare similar to this one, where they’d almost lost Dumo had convinced Olli to finally confess his feelings for the other defenseman. Sid doesn’t think that Dumo had only agreed because there was a distinct lack of options, and watching their love develop has been a breath of fresh air in their current disastrous situation. 

“I know,” Sid breathes. “I know. I just—”

“It’s Geno. Even if he doesn’t feel that way about you, it’s still Geno,” Olli assures him. “Now go get some guys ready, Dumo and I are going to plan this out.” 

-

Sid gets a few people who are willing to help him, and together, they confer with Olli and Dumo to create a plan of attack. They have Vero watching the three figures and updating them with their whereabouts in order to create the distraction at the most optimal moment. Once the three figures get close enough, they’ll shoot some of the flares at vehicles surrounding but away from the entrance, in hopes that the zombies will move away to investigate. After that, Sid, Horny, Tanger, and Rusty will go out and take care of any other monsters that are still too close. If all goes well, they’ll clear enough area to admit the figures moving toward them.

Then Sid will confess his feelings for Geno, and it will either work out or it won’t. It feels like a lot of pressure.

Soon enough, Vero is calling out to them, confirming that it is their guys. Sid looks at his team, at Olli and Dumo, who are prepared to be their last line of defense, at Horny, Tanger, and Rusty, who are already in their gear, sharp pointy objects at the ready. 

“We have to bring them home,” he says. “We need to make sure that they get in safely.”

The guys nod, letting their faces melt from apprehension to steely determination. These are their friends, their team, and no one will let them down without a fight. 

“Alright, let’s go boys,” Sid instructs, and everyone gets moving. Sid himself stands between Olli and Dumo, watches as they shoot their flares, watches as the monsters slowly amble over to the cars they’d targeted. It does clear some space, but there’s more work to be done. With a nod, Sid motions to the others that it’s time for them to go.

It’s almost like a game, like when they used to play all together. Sid takes a moment to center himself and prepare for what he needs to do. He takes a moment to remind himself that those things out there aren’t people anymore, and that he needs to do whatever he can to ensure that their guys make it inside safely. 

Then it’s time for them to go, and he can't think of anything else. 

He uses a sharpened hockey stick to target the head, or the brain stem of the zombies nearby. They need to do it quietly so as not to attract the ones that are surrounding the cars, so after a successful hit, Sid catches the body and lays it down quietly. The only way that this will work is if they don’t get swarmed, so he needs to be very careful.

Soon, they can see the guys, can see Geno, Flower, and Duper. Sid gives them a nod and they respond in kind, and that’s the only consideration that Sid can give them until they’re closer. For now, they all know the play here, and they all know where they need to be to make it successful.

Sid lets his mind go completely blank, lets his body take over. Fighting zombies is almost like playing hockey: Sid just needs to let his body do the work. He fights his way toward Geno, fights the monsters that are trying to keep them all separate. He needs to make sure that they get in safely, and this is the only way to do it. 

Once he’s settled the last body on the ground, he reaches forward to grasp Geno’s arm, pulling him forward so that they can all get back to the entrance to the arena. As Sid leads their three missing guys forward, the rest of them fall back, defending their home from behind, and slowly making their way to the door.

Finally, finally, they make it, and Sid can feel the adrenaline pumping through his body, can hear the rushing of his thoughts in his ears. They get the door closed behind them, safe at last, and Sid drops his hockey stick. He moves to help Olli and Dumo secure the door but they wave him off. It’s up to him to find out what happened out there. 

“Geno, G, what…?” He asks. The others are dropping their own weapons and taking off their gear. It will need to get cleaned but that’s for later. For now, the only concern Sid has is Geno. 

“Come, we talk,” Geno tells him. He takes Sid by the hand and drags him into one of the empty offices. They’ll need to move further into the facility soon, but for now, this is good enough. Sid slumps against the desk, still fully outfitted in his gear. He blinks when Geno removes his helmet, having forgotten that he’s still wearing it. “Couldn’t get back, Sid,” Geno tells him. “Couldn’t bring supply. Too many dead.”

Sid nods, “a hoard came in just after I got back. We were hoping they’d move on, but they haven’t yet.” 

“Yes, I know. We hide nearby, in old pharmacy. We watch for few days, couldn’t tell you we there, couldn’t make it here. We run low on food, so we think, fuck it, this our only chance, so we decide to come, to fight. And then you help,” he explains. “You see us?”

“Yeah, I was looking for you. I saw you moving when I was on the roof,” Sid tells him. 

“We have supply ready, we just need to—”

“I was so worried,” Sid tells him. “Geno, I was so fucking worried about you. I just— I can’t— I need to tell you something,” he says. “I can’t let you go out there again, risk losing you without telling you that I love you.” Sid chances a glance at Geno, only to find him staring back with his mouth open. This is it then, Geno must not feel the same way. Sid looks down. He can’t be looking at Geno while Geno inevitably turns him down. “It’s okay if you don’t—”

But then he hears movement, and he has to look up, if only to make sure that Geno hasn’t left him in here alone. Geno hasn’t. Geno is standing right there in front of him, with barely an inch of space between their faces. “Sid, you love me?” He asks.

“I do,” Sid replies. “I tried not to, but I do.” 

It’s like that was what Geno was waiting for, because in the next second, he feels warm breath across his skin, then lips on his. Sid is sure he makes an embarrassing noise, but he can’t care about that. He surges forward and kisses Geno back, slides his tongue past Geno’s lips and lets his actions tell Geno everything that he needs to know about how he feels. He’s always been better at using his actions to show people his emotions, and this is no exception. 

When they pull away from each other, Geno is blinking at him curiously. “Sid, I love you too. Have for a long time, but I was scared to say.” 

“Me too,” Sid replies. “But I couldn’t let you go out again without telling you.” He kisses Geno again, pulls him closer so that he can get a better angle. “Geno,” he breathes, “Geno, I was so worried.” He grasps at his arms, squeezes him to make sure that he’s real, and then drags him into a hug. “From now on, we go out together,” he vows. “I can’t risk losing you, and not being able to do anything about it.” 

“Together,” Geno agrees. “We go together.”

Everything is fucked up for them. The dead are walking, and their lives have changed irreparably, but now they’ve got each other. This isn’t something that Sid will ever be willing to give up without a fight. 

“Together,” Sid agrees. 

Sid leans in for one more kiss, desperate to know that Geno is real, and solid, and that he feels the same way. There are so many things that they’ll need to deal with once they leave this small office, but for now, they have each other and that will have to be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Check back for notes after reveals!


End file.
